


The Cog That Makes my Heart Beat

by Liquidation



Category: Yuri!!! on Ice (Anime)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Robots & Androids, Android Anya, Android Georgi, Android Mila, Android Victor, Androids, Child Yuri Plisetsky, Human Yuuri, M/M, Robots, Yuuri is oblivious as always
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-02
Updated: 2018-07-02
Packaged: 2019-06-01 01:04:28
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,663
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15131675
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Liquidation/pseuds/Liquidation
Summary: Victor is Yakov Feltsman's, latest model. He is an android that is the most life-like in both appearance and programming in the world, a robot that is almost entirely indistinguishable from other humans. Perhaps it's because of this that Victor struggles to walk the line between humans and robots, particularly when it comes to Yuuri Katsuki. Especially when it comes to Yuuri Katsuki.As they face their own demons, both Victor and Yakov wonder what it means to be truly human.





	The Cog That Makes my Heart Beat

Yakov Feltsman is a world famous roboticist, praised for his incredibly life-like and innovative designs. History has even gone so far as to regard him as one of the major pioneers in his field, ushering the world into a new era of technology and advancements. It’s not unusual to see a Feltsman model on the daily and the man’s technological genius can easily be seen in the just robots that help run his household alone. This includes Mila, his snarky robotic lab assistant built to lift his heavy equipment with ease, and Georgi, his robotic butler who fancies himself in love with a robot maid named Anya down the street (even if Yakov repeatedly tells him that she can't return his feelings since it’s ‘simply not in her programming’).

 

Yakov Feltsman is a world famous roboticist and he has numerous awards, billions of dollars, and a broken marriage to show for it.

 

He doesn’t know what led him to the idea - a new challenge, boredom, maybe even philosophy. He would rather retire for good than ever admit that it was his way of patching the rift in his family the only way he knew how. Yakov’s newest venture is his most ambitious project yet. Once completed, the Victor model will be the most life-like android in both appearance and programming in the world, a robot that would be almost entirely indistinguishable from other humans. Though perhaps it was because of this that he didn’t foresee how much trouble the robotic boy would cause.

 

Victor was both a drama queen and a stubborn mule. Yakov had never had this much trouble with his robots before, even against the likes of Mila and Georgi. He should have considered adolescent mood swings too when deciding an age to base his model off of, but hindsight was twenty-twenty. As soon as Victor’s language drive, personality programs, and voice box were installed, the robot all but dictated what the rest of his body would look like like the bossy child he was. The Victor AI ended up selecting a thin and lithe body, bright blue eyes, a mouth that somehow turned into a heart when he smiled, a Russian accent to match Yakov’s own, and long silvery locks. Yakov had to specially import this impossible shade from Russia because Victor insisted the shade had to be natural. However, this left the pouting robot bald for nearly two weeks and he refused to step foot out of the lab until the shipment came in. At least the vain android seemed more than pleased with the finished product (even if his hair was a little thinner than he had liked). 

 

The moment he was able to leave the lab, Victor explored his new world with hungry fascination, seemingly devouring any and all knowledge he could get his hands on - books, manuals, movies, social media. He asked a million questions, sometimes even about dumb facts Yakov knew Victor had in his programming.

 

“Aww, but it’s not the same Yakov!” Victor whined, “I  _ know  _ what a toaster is, but I want to hear  _ you  _ explain it. It’s different!”

 

Victor was quick to introduce himself to Nikolai’s young grandson next door, Yuri Plitzeski, who seemed just as annoyed with the robot as he was with the previous two androids. Georgi and Mila seemed to adore the new edition to their household though and were quick to indulge his curious nature, which Yakov was extremely grateful for. However, the trio seemed to bring out the worst in each other. Mila and Victor particularly enjoyed viciously teasing Yura and causing mischief while Georgi seemed to bemoan his unrequited affections even louder than before now that there were more ears to listen.

 

Victor also picked up bad habits. The android, he found, had very selective hearing - not because of any bugs in his system, but simply because he was a little brat. He completely ignored ground rules and did whatever he pleased, such as greedily scouring his lab for programs to add to his already impressive repertoire or creating a huge mess with the makeup Lilia left behind in impromptu fashion shows with Georgi. The biggest rule Victor seemed to ignore though was not to leave the house. Mila and Georgi were guilty accomplices in this too.

 

“But Yakooov,” Victor whined as he threw himself across the lounge chair in his usual dramatic fashion, “how am I suppose to learn about the world if I never see it?”

 

The roboticist was nearly about to blow his top with Victor’s antics. However, after sneaking out one night to go to a festival, no thanks to little Yura’s help this time, Yakov couldn’t help but notice that something changed in Victor. It was like his entire world shifted on its axis and he looked at the world around him in a new light. On more than one occasion, he found Victor wearing a troubled, pensive look on his face when he thought no one was looking. It was a look so different, so incredibly foreign on the usually excitable android, but around others, he would quickly recover and act as if nothing was wrong. The strange behavior left Yakov feeling cautious and wary, but the robot always found some kind of excuse to avoid the subject whenever he tried to bring it up. Victor also disappeared more frequently and was more than willing to share his dramatic retellings of his adventures with ‘Yuri.’ Rather, Victor would positively gush about the boy to anybody who would listen. It almost became worse than Georgi’s obsession with Anya. Of course, then came Victor’s random and absurd requests.

 

“Yakov, I want to go to school like Yuuri!”

 

“Yakov, I want to be able to eat katsudon with Yuuri! Give me taste buds too so I can say vkusno!”

 

“Yakov, Yuuri has the funniest dreams. I want to have weird dreams like Yuuri too!”

 

“Yakov! Yuuri has the  _ cutest  _ dog in the world! Build me a robo-dog. It has to be a poodle too! Her name will be Makkachin!”

 

“Yakov, Yuuri grew an inch! I want to grow up with him too! Make me taller than him so he has to look up to me!”

 

It seemed like every day, Victor had a new  demand request with stars in his eyes. 

 

“Yakov,” Victor whined in that grating tone that could only mean he wanted something, “I want to be able to dance like Yuuri so we can dance together! He moves like he creates the music himself! You should enroll me in Lilia’s dance classes with him!”

 

“As far as I know, little Yura isn’t taking lessons with Lilia yet,” Yakov replied gruffly, half-busying himself with stitching the curled brown fur onto the Makkachin bot.

 

“Not  _ that _ Yuri. I meant  _ my _ Yuuri! My solnyshko! He’s adorable with dark hair, big brown eyes, and pinchable cheeks! He dances beautifully and his mother makes the best food and he’s so shy and sweet. Oh Yakov I think I might be in love! Did you know his family owns an onsen?”

 

Yakov immediately dropped what he was doing at the word ‘love.’ “What?”

 

“It’s a hot spring resort! You know, naturally heated underground spring water with soothing properties and…”

 

Yakov could only groan, dragging a hand down his face as the exuberant robot rattled on. Victor was going to be the death of him. He can feel himself balding more and more by the day.

 

“Why do you even want all these upgrades Vitya?” he finally asked at length, “or be enrolled in school or dance lessons at that? You already know everything that any school can teach you and dance lessons aren’t necessary.”

 

Victor quickly sobered at that, all previous mirth slipping from his face. He couldn’t even look him properly in the eye as Yakov pinned him with his stare. Did this have something to do with what was troubling him as of late?

 

The robot could only manage a weak, watery smile, one that didn’t make his eyes shine or his lips twist into an impossible heart. “But if I can be more human, then Yuuri will stay by my side, right? If I just continue pretending I’m human, nothing will change and it’ll be fine, right Yakov _?_ ” he asked, almost desperately so. His smile wavered threateningly and his fingers twisted the fabric of his pants in a vain attempt to keep himself from unraveling at the seams. “Y-you can make me more human so he doesn’t leave me behind, right?” His voice broke in a sob as an entirely new emotion consumed the robot Yakov had grown to care for. He looked so small, so fragile then, and Yakov’s heart broke because he couldn’t do anything about it. He couldn’t do a diagnostic test and fix it like he usually could.

 

“I’m sorry Yakov. I know I’m being demanding and selfish when you’ve already done so much, but what else can I do? Seeing other people get to do or share things with Yuuri that I’m incapable of doing, it makes me feel so… so  _ useless. _ There will always be so many things I can’t experience with him because he’s a human and I’m _ just a robot _ . I’m not even a living being _.  _ How can I possibly offer him life and love when I can’t even experience it myself? The way Yuuri talks about his future and the implication that my time with him is fleeting, that he’ll one day grow up and move on while I stay the same forever.” Victor’s hands clutched at his chest as he openly sobbed. “It’s the most awful feeling in the world. Why does it hurt so much, Yakov?”

 

Yakov the roboticist would have told him something about his pain nerve programming or synthetic vagal nerve stimulation, but in this moment, Yakov the human didn’t know what to say. He realized he wasn’t exactly good at being human either.

 

“I’m sorry, Vitya, I’m so sorry.”

**Author's Note:**

> Hoped you like this short fic!  
> Find me on Tumblr at yoi-trash-dump!


End file.
